still struggling with build

[Russ holmes]

so ive up't the budget a bit and come up with this, i have a few questions.

will it run games on a 1080p 144hz monitor like the new call or duty , and other first person shooters, on decent settings?. hes upgrading from a i5 4670k and gtx 770.

do i need the extra cooler ? the stock prism looks great and if poss would like to use it, and save a few quid.

the B450 pro carbon is out of stock everywhere, should i go for the tomahawk max or spent a little extra on one of the cheaper x570s? motherboard selection is doing my head in, i dont want to be stuck in the future for upgrading if i want to throw in a newer CPU or GPU. it seems a good B450 or a bad x570 are my options.

any reviews on the 2070 super, is the MSI one a good choice, or are other brands better. ?

and if anyone thinks my parts list is crap and wants to help with a better one then please do, budget is £1500 , can go slightly higher, i would prefer lower , i just needs some RGB and a nvidia GPU. there his only set in stone choices. any help appreciated. thanks



My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x NZXT H500 Midi Tower Gaming Case - White Window= £69.95
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core 4.4GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £319.99
• 1 x MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Ventus OC 8192MB PCI-Express Graphics Card= £539.99
• 1 x Corsair Force MP510 series 960GB NVMe PCIe M.2 Solid State Drive (CSSD-F960GBMP510)= £149.99
• 1 x Seagate 2TB BarraCuda 7200RPM 256MB Cache Internal Hard Drive (ST2000DM008)= £55.99
• 1 x Corsair RM Series RM650 650W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply (CP-9020194-UK)= £76.99
• 1 x Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO Black 16GB 3600 MHz AMD Ryzen Tuned DDR4 Memory Kit= £128.99
• 1 x MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £106.99
• 3 x Arctic Cooling F12 PWM Fan Rev. 2 - 120mm= £4.99
• 1 x Phanteks RGB LED Strip Starter Kit (PH-LEDKT_CMBO)= £13.99
• 1 x Arctic Freezer 34 eSports Duo White CPU Cooler - 2 x 120mm= £29.95

Total: £1,520.99 (includes shipping: £13.20)​

​

 

[paulmapp8306]

Personally (as Im speccing a new build now based on a 3700x) Id drop the Ram to 3200. You save a little and there no real world difference as the 3200 has lower CAS ratings. Im also going for the ASUS TUF X570plus Wifi for the mother board.

My budget is higher (at £2k) - but Im not using any Platen HDs - all SSD. Either 2 of the MP510s you spec, or one PCIe 4 and one SATA SSD (a bit more but blistering quick for the future - AND I keep an M2 slot spare for UG ing if I need more space). Im also specing a slightly more expensive case and £70 on a cooler. Those SSds/case/motherboard and cooler upps the cost by £300+ from your spec alone - and Im having mine built rather than tackling it myself (build is OK - OS/Bios/Drivers.... Id rather not).

 

[Plec]

do i need the extra cooler ? the stock prism looks great and if poss would like to use it, and save a few quid.

Stock is fine for your needs (and colourful) - but if you want RGB tower you could get the Alpenfohn Ben Nevis Black RGB cooler for ~£29.

the B450 pro carbon is out of stock everywhere, should i go for the tomahawk max or spent a little extra on one of the cheaper x570s? motherboard selection is doing my head in, i dont want to be stuck in the future for upgrading if i want to throw in a newer CPU or GPU. it seems a good B450 or a bad x570 are my options.

Do you need WiFi(?) - if not then the B450 MAX is perfect for your budget - allowing you to spend more on components (GPU/CPU) that will have real impact on gaming performance.

any reviews on the 2070 super, is the MSI one a good choice, or are other brands better. ?

Gigabyte Gaming - £10 more but 4 year warranty and UK RMA.

can go slightly higher, i would prefer lower

You could save some money by getting 3200MHz RGB memory - but the 3600MHz is only £10 more (non RGB ~£80 - if you really want to save money)

 

[Russ holmes]

Personally (as Im speccing a new build now based on a 3700x) Id drop the Ram to 3200. You save a little and there no real world difference as the 3200 has lower CAS ratings. Im also going for the ASUS TUF X570plus Wifi for the mother board.

My budget is higher (at £2k) - but Im not using any Platen HDs - all SSD. Either 2 of the MP510s you spec, or one PCIe 4 and one SATA SSD (a bit more but blistering quick for the future - AND I keep an M2 slot spare for UG ing if I need more space). Im also specing a slightly more expensive case and £70 on a cooler. Those SSds/case/motherboard and cooler upps the cost by £300+ from your spec alone - and Im having mine built rather than tackling it myself (build is OK - OS/Bios/Drivers.... Id rather not).

I've just been reading your post and it seems you'll be doing a lot more on yours than playing games and doing homework. And your budget is bigger, I'd rather have it built for me but I'm willing to give it a go and use all the budget on parts. Hopefully a decision I won't regret. It's a big expense and my kid has saved up hard for the most part. He's about half way there. So he'll be cutting the grass for the next 10 years to pay the rest off. I just want to pick the best parts possible we can afford.

 

[Russ holmes]

Gigabyte Gaming - £10 more but 4 year warranty and UK RMA.

Thanks for the advise. Probably a daft question but is there any concerns mixing brands. I selected the MSI as it was an MSI board. Do components work better together if there the same. Or just select what is best.

 

[Plec]

Thanks for the advise. Probably a daft question but is there any concerns mixing brands. I selected the MSI as it was an MSI board. Do components work better together if there the same. Or just select what is best.

No issues at all - mix it up.

 

[Journey]

You know that 15% of your budget or £231 is going towards an almost negligible increase in performance in that build? Given you've said that it'll take your Son 10 years to pay off the debt (I know you might be joking) surely spending less for very similar performance, and putting that £231 in a piggy bank for when he wants an upgrade would make more sense?

 

[paulmapp8306]

I've just been reading your post and it seems you'll be doing a lot more on yours than playing games and doing homework. And your budget is bigger, I'd rather have it built for me but I'm willing to give it a go and use all the budget on parts. Hopefully a decision I won't regret. It's a big expense and my kid has saved up hard for the most part. He's about half way there. So he'll be cutting the grass for the next 10 years to pay the rest off. I just want to pick the best parts possible we can afford.

True. The only reason Im putting a decent GPU in is that Im after a highish end build for the music - so as everything else is already there seems stupid to to add a GPU. If I dont, then a PS5 would be in order when released - which will be £500 anyway so makes sense (to me anyway) to spend that om a GPU.

As an addition to your Questions though - I wouldnt go RGB personally. Extra for some pretty lights..... In going for a silent tower anyway for music (and a bedroom would also benefit more that blingy colours). Go for cheaper non RGB stuff and use the money elsewhere.

 

[Russ holmes]

You know that 15% of your budget or £231 is going towards an almost negligible increase in performance in that build? Given you've said that it'll take your Son 10 years to pay off the debt (I know you might be joking) surely spending less for very similar performance, and putting that £231 in a piggy bank for when he wants an upgrade would make more sense?

Hi, which part part do you mean.. any way to save will be taken on board.

You could save some money by getting 3200MHz RGB memory - but the 3600MHz is only £10 more (non RGB ~£80 - if you really want to save money)

I picked the ram as it said tuned for ryzen. Is that just sales spaf or is there such a thing.

 

[Journey]

Hi, which part part do you mean.. any way to save will be taken on board.

Nvidia RTX 2070 Super - £540. For ~£100 less any AIB RX 5700 XT.
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X - £320. For ~£130 less the R5 3600.

His set in stone choice of an Nvidia GPU is proving that marketing works over scientific objective data, and is lesson that should be learned early before he enters the real world.

 

[Plec]

I picked the ram as it said tuned for ryzen. Is that just sales spaf or is there such a thing.

Yes, pure pitch. (@Journey - would rightly argue that Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 3000MHz/3200MHz is more Ryzen tuned/tunable(sic) than the Corsair set.)

Nvidia RTX 2070 Super - £540. For ~£100 less any AIB RX 5700 XT.

^^^ This, gaming at only 1080p, even 144Hz, the 5700XT would save you a considerable amount.

Are you building this yourself or OcUK?

 

[Russ holmes]

Nvidia RTX 2070 Super - £540. For ~£100 less any AIB RX 5700 XT.
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X - £320. For ~£130 less the R5 3600

I hear what your saying about the gpu and I do agree. It's because Nvidia is what he's used to using. And definitely more brand related than anything else. But I suppose that's why people buy apple phones, There not as good, more expensive but have an apple on them .

It took me ages to sway him to a ryzen instead of intel. My 1st build choice was a 3600 and a 2060 super but that got shot down. So for the extra few 100 and saving on a cooler I thought I was pretty close for his needs and future upgrades.

Yes, pure pitch. (@Journey - would rightly argue that Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 3000MHz/3200MHz is more Ryzen tuned/tunable(sic) than the Corsair set.)


^^^ This, gaming at only 1080p, even 144Hz, the 5700XT would save you a considerable amount.

Are you building this yourself or OcUK?

I had a quote from Ocuk to build the 3600 / 2060super. Swopping to a 3700x and 2070s uses all the budget so I'll have to build it myself.

 

[Plec]

I had a quote from Ocuk to build the 3600 / 2060super. Swopping to a 3700x and 2070s uses all the budget so I'll have to build it myself.

Yes, it's a considerable saving building yourself (~£150?) and gives you the opportunity to get components when you need them, if out of stock, or even when if not ever stocked.

You seem to have done your research and know where money could be saved if needed - you ultimately have to buy what makes you/your son happy.

Are you looking to save more money or do you need RGB suggestions - i.e. case, fans, cooler? The: board, CPU, GPU, PSU, case (always personal) are solid and alternatives have already been discussed. As mentioned, if the RGB isn't vital for the memory then the Crucial Ballistix Sport LT (AES within product code) is a great choice. The 3200MHz kits are hitting 3733MHz CL16 (obviously not guaranteed) and can be had ~£80. I can't link but can mention the product as OcUK for some reason don't stock their memory anymore (or NVMe drives). But, appreciate if you want to buy all from one supplier.

 

[Journey]

because Nvidia is what he's used to using.

If he programs using CUDA for Tensor Flow applications then I'd agree. However he doesn't actually 'use' the graphics card it is merely installed in the system and providing the computational power to run the games and applications he had already installed.

. But I suppose that's why people buy apple phones, There not as good, more expensive but have an apple on them .

Apple offers iOS and close knit integration with its other products and services, some people use this, others are used to it, and some/most are just well marketed to. It is not really comparable for the most part.

I can understand why you are choosing to let him decide, but you should make him earn the extra £100 before you get it, see if he still thinks it is worth it then.

 

[Russ holmes]

Yes, it's a considerable saving building yourself (~£150?) and gives you the opportunity to get components when you need them, if out of stock, or even when if not ever stocked.

You seem to have done your research and know where money could be saved if needed - you ultimately have to buy what makes you/your son happy.

Are you looking to save more money or do you need RGB suggestions - i.e. case, fans, cooler? The: board, CPU, GPU, PSU, case (always personal) are solid and alternatives have already been discussed. As mentioned, if the RGB isn't vital for the memory then the Crucial Ballistix Sport LT (AES within product code) is a great choice. The 3200MHz kits are hitting 3733MHz CL16 (obviously not guaranteed) and can be had ~£80. I can't link but can mention the product as OcUK for some reason don't stock their memory anymore (or NVMe drives). But, appreciate if you want to buy all from one supplier.

I'm happy with the cost of the items and dropping the cooler and swopping the RAM for 3200mhz will save a few £. I'm not to bothered about the putting it together it's more the getting it working. I know OCuk would have it all tuned, tested and working perfectly. That is where I will struggle. Apart from downloading windows and the drivers I know nothing about anything else.

My main concerns with the build were compatibility, What level of performance to expect from it, GPU brand, and if the motherboard will stand the test of time. I don't want the board to be the 1st thing that needs upgrading or stops future CPU / GPU upgrades.

 

[paulmapp8306]

Im in the same boat. Im an electronics Tech by trade, so the actual assembly I could do no problem. My problems would be loading the OS, Bios, Drivers, clocking etc.

I have spec'd the build today for parts only (searching for the best prices) and Its come to £1936 for bits, or £2002 built for me. Honestly for the peace of mind, and the fact the it stuff is dont for me Im happy to pay that £70. But then My budget isnt as tight as others.

 

[Russ holmes]

This is probably a complete daft question but what do you store on the SSD and HDD. Games wise. Do they go on the NVMe with windows or do they go on the HDD. And would it not be better to get a separate small SSD just for Windows, nothing else. Put games on the 1tb NVMe and everything else on the HDD.

 

[Plec]

I'm happy with the cost of the items and dropping the cooler and swopping the RAM for 3200mhz will save a few £.

For the sake of £9 you may as well get the 3600MHz - if however you mean swapping to the TeamGroup Vulcan then the £40 saving is worth it. And if you mean swapping to the Crucial memory i suggested it's most definitely worth it.

That is where I will struggle. Apart from downloading windows and the drivers I know nothing about anything else.

Get the GPU driver direct from Nvidia and motherboard drivers from the manufacturer ready for install on a pendrive. Install Windows - once completed install chip-set drivers first, restart when prompted (always), then GPU, LAn etc... then enable internet and register windows. No real need for anti-virus etc, Windows Defender is enough - although a teenage lad may test its capabilities.

Personally, i don't install any Suite Software - but this is entirely your call if you're using RGB. But, essentially, if you keep Windows and your drivers updated you'll be fine with a solid initial setup.

Plus, if you get stuck - post back for help.

My main concerns with the build were compatibility, What level of performance to expect from it, GPU brand, and if the motherboard will stand the test of time. I don't want the board to be the 1st thing that needs upgrading or stops future CPU / GPU upgrades.

The board you've selected is of good quality and the original made the entry level x470s look weak (VRMs). The MAX version is a brand new/revitalised board (eeprom and cosmetics mainly) with Zen-2 compatibly at the core of its release so future BIOS updates shouldn't be an issue (but like any board can't guarantee the speed in which they release updates).

As for GPU - Gigabyte have a 4 year guarantee with UK RMA and excellent forum representation in @GIGA-Man if you run into any problems. But, if the card is functioning properly you won't have any compatibility issues - nor would you with any other card.

This is probably a complete daft question but what do you store on the SSD and HDD. Games wise. Do they go on the NVMe with windows or do they go on the HDD.

Windows, office/photoshop etc, Steam Client/Orgin/Uplay plus your favourite games on the NVMe . But you'll need additional Steam/Orgin/etc folders on your HDD if you like too have a lot of games saved to your computer - you can choose which drive to save the game on when you come to install.

 

[sastusbulbas]

I'm finding OS and game drives are filling quicker than the storage hdds these days. Both lads have already had to move up in OS drive size and im not sure if they will be going 1tb ssd for game storage or just regular hdd.

My youngest lad is all ssd and its nice quite n quick loading, but his big brother shrugs and feels ssd for games isnt all that. My 1t tb ssd is full. So not sure where we are all going drive wise.

As such I recommend bigger where possible.